Shops closed over traders' arrest in Hills

Businessmen in the Hills seem to be bearing the brunt for financially supporting the separate statehood demand.

| TNN | Sep 12, 2013, 05.26 AM IST

DARJEELING: Businessmen in the Hills seem to be bearing the brunt for financially supporting the separate statehood demand.

Prominent trader and Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce president Brij Mohan Garg was arrested from his house early on Wednesday and later in the day, local businessman Himangshu Garg was picked up from near the DM's office on Hill Cart Road.

Brij was arrested in connection with torching of a state guest house in Tukdah on August 1, but police didn't disclose the reason behind Himangshu's arrest. Locals say they faced the ire for financially supporting the statehood movement.

On September 7, businessman Asoke Periwal of Kalimpong was arrested for reportedly supporting the GJM movement.

As a mark of protest, traders in the Hills downed shutters on Wednesday. They submitted a memorandum to the DM and agreed to reopen shops from Thursday on his request.

Brij was produced at the CJM court and remanded in judicial custody. "The primary charges against him are conspiring against the state and torching the guest house," said APP Pankaj Prasad. TNN"Police had made a prayer to the CJM court for two days' remand. But due to non-availability of the investigation report, the accused has been sent to the Darjeeling correctional home," added Pankaj Prasad.

Word doing the rounds is that police suspect Garg is one of the many businessmen who are extending monetary support to GJM. In fact on August 27, the food and supplies department sealed three PDS godowns co-owned by Garg near Ghoom Bhanjyang. They suspect food grains were supplied to the agitators.

"We held a meeting with the DM today and submitted a memorandum deputation. Acting on the request of the district magistrate to maintain normalcy, we have decided to open our shops from tomorrow. Even our president has appealed to us to ensure people are not affected. However, we have made it clear that we will not tolerate arrests of innocent businessmen in the near future," said Lallan Prasad, the coordination committee chairman of the Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce. "After a prolonged bandh, we had thought of starting on a positive note. But this act by the administration has shattered the morale of the local business community," he added.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said, "The Bengal government is violating human rights, spreading a reign of terror by arresting innocent people and implicating them in false cases. The intention is clearly to diffuse the separate statehood agitation. But the state government will not succeed as people are with us."

Traders in the Hills downed shutters on Wednesday to protest against the arrest of prominent businessman and Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce president BM Garg. Though Garg was held in connection with torching of a state government guest house in Tukdah on August 1, it is believed that the businessman

ostensibly in connection with the torching of a government guest house in Tukdah, on August 1, in the wake of a renewed statehood movement.

Police picked up B. M. Garg early this morning from his residence below Chowrastha following which traders closed their establishments and demonstrated outside the sadar police station in protest. They also submitted a deputation to the district magistrate later in the afternoon.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) party in a joint consensus of member constituents of the Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee (GJAC) on Tuesday had called off the ongoing month long agitation from today. Garg has been charged under sections 436, 457, 447 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code which includes conspiracy, arson and prevention of damage to public properties. He was produced to the chief judicial magistrate court in Darjeeling and his bail plea rejected. "The primary charges against is conspiring against the state government and torching the Tukdah forest guest house," said assistant police prosecutor Pankaj Prasad. The businessman has been sent to judicial custody and directed to attend the hearing, tomorrow. "Police had made a prayer to the CJM court for two days remand. But due to non-availability of investigative report, the accused has been sent to the Darjeeling correctional home," said the APP.

Apparently, police suspect Garg is one of the many businessmen extending monetary support to GJM for the ongoing movement. The food and supplies department has already sealed august 27 three PDS godown co-owned by Garg near Ghoom Bhanjyang suspecting food grains were being diverted to the agitators. In fact, police on September 7 also arrested Asoke Periwal of Kalimpong alleged to be a key financier and fund manager of GJM president Bimal Gurung which was followed by the arrests two persons from Sukhia Pokhari with 100 bags of unaccounted rice and over a lakh of rupees on September 9.

Traders from the minority community and members of the chamber of commerce condemned Garg's arrest and shut closed down their establishments in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, today, although, Kurseong sub-division remained opened. However, following intervention of the Darjeeling district magistrate and a formal request, the business fraternity has decided to open from Thursday.

"We held a meeting with the DM today and submitted a deputation. Acting on the request of the district magistrate to maintain normalcy, we have decided to open from tomorrow. Even our president has appealed to us to ensure people are not affected. However, we have made it clear that we will not tolerate arrests of innocent businessmen in future," said Lallan Prasad, the coordination committee chairman of the Darjeeling chamber of commerce, after an emergency meeting. "After a prolonged bandh, we had thought of staring on a positive note, in-spite of suffering extensively. However this act by the administration has shattered the confidence of the local business community who feel they can be arrested without reasons," he added.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri, condemned the arrest saying it was part of the state government conspiracy to scuttle the statehood movement. "The Bengal government is violating human rights, spreading a reign of terror by arresting innocent people implicating them in false cases. The intention is clearly to diffuse the separate statehood agitation. But the state government will not succeed as people are with us," said the GJM leader.

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